Introduction to Amphibians

The word amphibian comes from the Greek word for “double-life,” referring to the fact that amphibians start life in water breathing through gills before maturing into lung-breathing land animals, although most never stray too far from water. The class Amphibia is composed of only 3 orders. Anura, which refers to tailless amphibians, includes frogs and toads (see Amphibians: Similarities and Differences Between Frogs and Toads). This is the largest order with more than 3,500 species. Caudata refers to amphibians with tails—salamanders, newts, and sirens—and has about 375 species (see Amphibians: Some Common Salamanders and Newts). The Gymnophiona order is made up of caecilians, legless, tailless amphibians that spend most of their time burrowing. It has about 160 species.

There are many different types of amphibians, including frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts.